Home Again
by Hilarie Eabbe
Summary: Post-Trickster's Queen. Aly goes back to Tortall for the first time to be at Alan's Ordeal of Knighthood.
1. Chapter 1

Set three years after _Trickster's Queen_. I'm guessing that is about the right timing.

**Disclaimer:** It's all Tammy's. Duh. I'm just satisfying myself that Aly DOES actually see her family again.

Special note to Abbie Ahila: Feel free to ignore this one. It deals with a fandom you aren't a part of.

Home Again

One month before Midwinter 

"Aly, what's wrong?"

'Nothing, Your Majesty. Nothing's wrong. Well, it's possible you could be facing a minor rebellion in some of the outer isles, but I'm confident that the army will put that down without too much trouble."

"Aly, don't try to trick me, I know you too well for that. Something's been bothering you for the past few weeks. What is it?"

Aly sighed, and looked up from the papers she had been going over when Dove had walked into her office.

"It's really nothing, Your Majesty. Nothing that I can do anything about, at any rate."

Dove looked at her, her small face twisting slightly in irritation. "Well, Aly, if you don't tell me what's wrong we can't figure out if there is actually something we can do about it, can we?"

Aly smiled, her small, unreadable smile, but now it was tinged with just a hint of sadness. "Really, Majesty, there is nothing that we could do."

Now it was Dove's turn to sigh, only her sigh was one of frustration. "Look, Aly, you've been much quieter and more distant in the last few months than I've ever seen you. You also have been distracted, and honestly, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with my Spymaster being unable to focus on her duties! Now, tell me what's wrong before I'm forced to start exerting my power as queen."

Aly sighed again, this time because she knew that Dove was right. She had been distracted lately, and this was not a good thing, what with the important information that was given to her every day. Not that she was particularly worried about anything at the moment, but Dove, and the kingdom, deserved that she give the best she had.

"Fine, _Your Majesty_," she said, this time given a slightly ironic tinge to Dove's title, because she knew that Dove hardly ever used her position to force people to do something they didn't want to, and never would with her. "It's just that Midwinter is coming up."

Dove looked puzzled. "Why is that upsetting you?" she asked. "The celebrations will be great."

"I know," Aly said, her voice sounding much more despondent than excited. "It's just that this Midwinter Alan is having his ordeal of knighthood." Dove exclaimed softly in understanding. "When he started his page training eight years ago," Aly continued, "I promised him that I would be there for his Ordeal, waiting in the chapel when he came out."

Dove hated to see Aly like this, so unlike her normal, cheerful self. She knew how much Aly missed her twin brother, and that her separation from him was harder for her than anything else.

"It's going to be one of the most important nights of his life," Aly went on, "and I can't believe I won't be able to be there." She sighed a third time, and then shook herself slightly. "But I know I can't," she said, forcing her voice to be more lively, more like it usually was. "So why bother dwelling on it?"

"Hmm," Dove sighed, her small face serious, contemplative. She looked up at Aly. "Why couldn't you go?" she asked suddenly.

"What!" exclaimed Aly, looking at Dove incredulously.

"Why couldn't you go to be at Alan's ordeal?" repeated Dove. "There's a merchant ship leaving for Port Cayne in five days, you could go on that and reach the capital in plenty of time for Midwinter."

"Well… There's a million reasons I couldn't go," Aly cried, looking at Dove as though she were crazy. "First, I would need more than five days to make sure everything here would run smoothly if I were gone for an extended period. Second, it would look too suspicious for your Spymaster to just pick up and go to Corus for Midwinter; I would have no good reason. Third, you know that security always needs to be extra sharp around Midwinter, with all the visitors and parties. Um, and I mentioned a possible rebellion in the outer isles, right?"

Dove smiled at Aly, looking amused. "It never ceases to amaze me how convinced you are that the government will collapse if you leave for so much as a day," she told Aly, who looked both offended and slightly sheepish. "Believe it or not, we can handle things without you. You've trained your people to be almost as good at this as you are, and I really think that all of my other advisors and guards will be able to protect me. And I have complete faith in your ability to either invent a reason for your visit to Tortall, or else hide the fact of your going. No one could do it better than you."

Dove's smile faded slightly, and she continued in a more serious tone. "Besides, Aly, you haven't had a vacation practically since I was coronated," she said. "You deserve to go see your family. Your parents have never even met their grandchildren, and you should see your twin become a knight."

Dove could see that Aly's resolve was wavering, so she hardened her voice slightly, and when she spoke again it was in a more regal tone, that she hardly ever used. "Aly, I not only give you my complete permission to go to Tortall for Midwinter, I give you a royal order to," she commanded, although was unable to keep a straight face for the last part, and grinned at Aly.

Aly grinned back. "Your Majesty is most persuasive," she said, mockingly bowing her head slightly. "I see that I have no choice."

"I hereby give you the rest of the day off from your regular duties, in order to begin whatever tasks you must accomplish to prepare for your leave," Dove said, this time giving in and giggling slightly at her prolonged attempt at regality.

"Your Majesty need only command me," Aly said, beginning to assemble the papers on her desk, and already beginning to make a list in her head of everything that needed to be done before she could go.

Dove smiled at her and turned to leave the room, but was stopped at the door by Aly's voice.

"Dove," she said, in a low voice. Dove stopped, but did not turn around. Aly hardly ever used her first name. "Thank you," Aly said, the emotion in her voice clearly illustrating how much she meant it.

"Nobody deserves it more," Dove said as she left the room.

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When Nawat entered the apartment he shared with Aly that evening, he was startled to see empty bags sitting in the middle of the room, and many of their belongings scattered around.

"Aly," he called, surveying the piles of clothes, baby toys, and other objects that littered the floor. A streak that looked vaguely like his wife hurtled out of their bedroom and into his arms, wrapping it's arms around his neck and kissing him full on the mouth. "Aly?" he said again, this time sounding slightly worried.

She moved her face away from his, still keeping her arms around his neck, and beaming up at him.

"I have, not only Dove's permission, but her royal order that we go to Tortall for Midwinter," she announced, delight shining out of her eyes.

It took Nawat a second to understand what she was saying, and then a smile spread over his face as well, and he pulled her into a tight hug. He knew how much being at her twin's ordeal would mean to her, and had been upset over the past several weeks that he could do nothing to cheer her up. This, he knew, was what she had wanted more than anything else in the world.

"When do we leave?" he asked, looking around at the piles on the floor.

"Five days," she answered, smiling fondly at him, then looking around, slightly abashed. "I know I'm not going about this packing in the best way, it's just there's so much to do before we can leave," she said.

Nawat leaned over and started sorting out the garments in one of the piles. "Let me take care of packing, and getting the children ready," he told her. "You must have a lot to do to make sure everything will run smoothly while you are gone."

For some reason, Aly felt her eyes suddenly get watery, which was slightly alarming considering how unsentimental she usually was. She walked over to him, and once again wrapped her arms around him.

"I love you," she said simply, hiding her face in his chest.

"I love you too," he answered, kissing the top of her head.

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Well, good? Bad? Constructive Criticism would be beyond appreciated. I'm not sure when I'll be able to update, hopefully not too long.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! Big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I had no idea that my story would be received so well. Okay, Tortall fans are officially my favorites now. It's really true what I've always heard fanfic writers say that reviews really do make the updates happen :) (that was not a subtle request for reviews, I promise).

Sorry, she won't quite make it home in this chapter. And I did the cheesy thing and named their kids after people who died in Trickster's Queen, but hey, it's my fic :) And be warned, this chapter is rife with ship clichés in the middle section.

It's Duani that Aly's people called her, right? Please correct me if I get any facts wrong, I'm away at school and don't have the books with me.

**Disclaimer**: Do I really need to go through this every time? It's not mine!

Home Again: Chapter 2

The two and a half year old twins stood in awe at the edge of the pier, each gripping one of their father's hands, staring at the large ship on which they would soon be sailing. Ulasim had a serious look on his face, while Junai's eyes were as wide as saucers, and her mouth was open in a small "o".

"We're really gonna be riding on that, Papa?" asked Ulasim, sounding slightly intimidated. "Are you sure it's safe?"

Nawat chuckled. "Yes, Ulasim, I'm sure it's safe," he told his son. "Your mama and I have been on these many times." He squeezed his son's hand slightly, and received a small, nervous smile in return.

"_I'm_ not scared," announced Junai, and stooped to pick up the small bag that was filled with her favorite toys, as if to demonstrate her willingness to embark on the ship.

"I'm not scared either!" objected Ulasim, also leaning down to pick up his bag, and casting a sideways glance at his sister.

Aly was standing a bit farther back from her family, holding the baby, Alyani asleep in her arms, and having a last-minute conversation with her second in command. Dove had wanted to come to see them off, but had agreed it was best for them to leave drawing as little attention as possible.

"Make sure you always keep someone on the situation on the outer isles, that could blow up soon and the last thing I want is for it to catch us off guard. Taklin should be back from Scanra before Midwinter and make sure that you get his report ready; I'll want to see it as soon as I get back. And you know that I'm getting all our spies out of Corus while I'm there, so you'll be getting a lot of information from places you aren't expecting it, make sure that you keep track of what is important and what isn't."

The large Raka man had been nodding along, smiling slightly, and looking slightly indulgent. Aly adjusted Alyani in her arms, and continued, "and make sure that the guards for the Midwinter celebrations are," but at this he cut her off.

"Don't worry, Duani," he said in a deep, reassuring voice. "We are all well trained. The country will not fall to pieces because you are gone for a few months. Your ducklings can handle themselves."

Aly grinned at him. "I've gotten so used to mothering you all over the last few years I don't know what I'd do if I realized that you didn't need it anymore," she told him.

He smiled down at her. "Spend some time mothering that one," he said, indicating the baby in her arms. "And enjoy your vacation."

"Thank you," she said, and turned to join her husband and twins. "You guys ready to be off?" she asked the two toddlers, smiling at them. Junai nodded eagerly, and Ulasim copied her, with slightly less enthusiasm. Aly glanced back to where she had been standing, but the man had vanished into the crowd.

"They're ready for us to board," Nawat told them all, hoisting a pack onto his shoulder. Most of their belongings had already been stored on the ship, but Aly had insisted that a few things travel with them. Nawat again grasped the twins' small hands and slowly led them up the gangplank. Aly looked around, took a deep breath, and followed them.

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Aly lay on her back in the small bed in her cabin on the ship, staring up into the darkness. She could hear the twins' quiet breathing on their small, makeshift bed on the floor, and Alyani's even quieter breathing from her crib, which had been bolted to the floor at the foot of her parent's bed. Beside Aly, Nawat shifted slightly in his sleep.

The past two nights, though, Aly had been unable to emulate the example of her family and sleep. She could only lie awake, listening to the creak of the ship and the calls of the night watchman, and think about where she was going.

Home. She was going home. Only it wasn't really her home anymore. The Copper Isles were now her home, their people her people. Her children were being raised in the ways and traditions of the islanders, taught their beliefs and history. She loved her Uncle Jon dearly, but was loyal to the queen of another country. Her life was in the Copper Isles. She hadn't been to Tortall in almost five years. She was scared.

And she was scared to see her family. Well, not scared so much as…nervous? Why should she be nervous to see her own family? She knew that she and Alan would be able to act as though they had never been apart, she and her father would have endless things to talk about, and her grandparents would be delighted to see her, Grandda Miles insisting on knowing everything that she had learned as head of a Country's spy network. Who knew if Thom would even had pulled himself away from the University long enough to realize she was there.

It was her mother. She was nervous to see her mother. For her mother to meet her grandchildren, and maybe get a chance to get to know her son-in-law, and see what her daughter had been up to for the last three years. She wanted her mother to be proud.

"Aly?" she heard Nawat say softly, and turned her head on the pillow to see that he had woken up and turned to face her. "Why are you awake?" he asked, reaching out a finger to gently brush her cheek.

"Couldn't sleep," she whispered, raising her hand to catch his, and wove her fingers through his. He looked at her with understanding.

"They are your family," he told her gently. "Your nest. They will welcome you unconditionally." He smiled at her. "And hopefully we will leave before Junai and Ulasim turn the Tortallan court inside out," he said.

Aly grinned at him. "I think that our hellions will more than meet their match in my parents. And Uncle Gary and Uncle Raoul." Suddenly her grin turned into a blinding smile. "I can't wait to see them," she whispered, in order not to wake the baby.

Nawat smiled back at her, once again running his fingers over her cheek. Aly looked back at him, her eyes tracing the familiar curves of his face, so happy now that she was. She leaned forward and softly kissed him, then with a contended sigh, settled her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his long arms around her, and finally she slipped into sleep.

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Three days later, Aly stood with her husband and children at the railing of the ship, staring intently at the strip of green in the distance, every second becoming clearer and clearer. Alyani was now in a sling on Nawat's back, Junai holding his hand, while Ulasim clung to Aly's hand, pressing his body into her side.

Aly's eyes shone as the familiar picture of Port Cayne hove into view; the bustling docks, teeming streets, and thronged stores. She had arranged to acquire two horses, which she and Nawat would ride to Corus, staying at inns along the way, She had not told anyone of their visit, not wanting to raise suspicion, and also, although she didn't really want to admit it, unable to resist the temptation to surprise everybody.

As the ship pulled up to the wharf, and the sailors started shouting commands and throwing lines to men waiting on the pier. Nawat looked over at Aly.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"I'm ready," she replied grinning.

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**Author's Note: **Sorry that not too much happened in this chapter, but I wanted something between leaving the Isles and meeting her family. Also, don't expect updates to always be this prompt. I want to devote plenty of time to Aly meeting her family, and the next couple of days are going to be insane for me (hooray for midterms!), so I apologize in advance for the delay. I've already spent time I should be writing a paper writing this instead (this is much more fun).

Hope the next chapter in worth it!


	3. Chapter 3

And she finally gets to see her family!

I'm almost certainly going to get Stephen's dialect wrong. I apologize in advance and will do my best.

And I just want to again, thank everyone PROFUSELY for all the great reviews and encouragement. Really, it's been making me feel better about myself than anything has for a while. You guys are the best!! Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.

**Disclaimer**: Ha. Haha. Hahaha.

Home Again: Chapter 3

Aly couldn't help but smile at the wide-eyed awe on her children's faces as they stared around at the bustling streets of Corus. Ulasim, seated on the saddle on front of Nawat, just looked solemnly at the people, street stalls, and general activity, but Junai, in front of Aly, insisted on pointing out to her mother each new thing she saw.

"Look Mama!" she exclaimed, directing her finger at a man juggling many brightly colored balls.

"Come on, Jun, you've seen me juggle before," Aly chided her small daughter.

"Yeah, but never that many!" Junai said chidingly. "Look Mama!" she cried again, her attention caught this time but a man playing a flute by the side of the street.

Aly looked around at the chaos around her, the smells from the cook-stalls, the brightly colored cloths and shining weapons, the merchants shouting out their wares. For a moment she was sixteen again, wandering through the city with her pa, lighthearted and carefree. Automatically, however, she scanned the crowds for any sign of threat, before realizing that their was little danger of anything untoward happening in the middle of market district shortly after noon. She was, however, constantly on the alert for thieves, and cast one suspect-looking young man who had seemed a little too interested in their saddle-bags a sharp look of warning, and he melted back into the crowd.

"LOOK MAMA", Junai shrieked suddenly, causing Aly to start and immediately hush her daughter, and look to see what had elicited such excitement. A man, Carthaki by the color of his skin, was walking through the crowd with a monkey on his shoulder. "Mama, it's a monkey!" Junai told her, eyes shining.

"You've seen monkeys before," Aly said, slightly exasperated.

"Yeah, but never one that small!" explained Junai in a breathless voice.

"Just wait until we get to the palace," Aly told her, grinning as she imagined her daughter's reaction. "I know a woman there who knows a monkey _half_ that size."

Junai didn't respond, just turned in her seat to stare wide-eyed at her mother. Aly smiled at her daughter, and returned to scanning the crowd, just in time to direct her death glare at another young man edging too close to Nawat's horse for her comfort.

As Aly had expected, the public road leading into the palace was packed at this time of day, part of the reason she had delayed their departure from the inn that morning in order to arrive later than they would have otherwise. Dove had given her an official letter from the king as her excuse for entrance into the palace, and then Aly was just going to rely on her knowledge of the court, not to mention acquaintance with most of the people in the palace, to go from there.

Sure enough, there was little trouble getting through the outer gate into the main courtyard. A bored looking guard glanced at the official seal from the queen of the Copper Isles on Aly's parchment, looked suspiciously at the man and three small children traveling with her, to which Aly responded with her most official look, and the guard waved her through.

Once inside, Aly dismounted and helped Junai down from the horse, before going to Nawat and taking Alyani from the sling on his back before he leaped down from his horse. Then, her horses reigns in one hand and Junai's hand in the other, Aly directed her steps away from the path most people were taking, leading Nawat towards the stables that were used by visiting nobility and diplomats. Junai seemed slightly disappointed to be leaving the crowd of interesting people, but seemed finally to have been cowed by the size of the surrounding buildings, so walked meekly at her mother's side.

"Will we have any trouble getting the horses stabled?" Nawat asked her as they walked.

"We shouldn't," Aly responded confidently. "I know most of the hostlers here, and if we happen to meet one I don't know, I'll just have him get the head Hostler. He's one of my pa's oldest friends."

As luck would have it, however, when they reached the stables, a pot-bellied man with graying but still obviously straw-colored hair and red cheeks walked out to meet them.

"May I take your horses, ma'am?" he asked, holding out a hand for the reigns of Aly's horse.

"Hello Stephen," she said, causing him to jerk his head towards her in surprise and study her face, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, do I know…" he began, but his voice trailed off as he placed the familiar raised eyebrow and slight smile in his memory. "Why, it's never Miss Aly!" he exclaimed, stepping back in surprise.

"None other," she said, smiling broadly at him, and extending her arms to the sides.

"Well, I'll be!" he cried. Aly stepped forward and gave him a hug, causing him to get a slightly uncomfortable look. He pushed her away, but held her at arm's length with his hands on her shoulders. "Look at you, with your own little 'uns," he said, looking at the three children.

"Stephen, please tell me my family is already here for Midwinter," Aly said, a note of desperation slipping into her voice.

"Indeed they are Miss Aly, arrived a week ago," he declared. "I daresay you'll want to be seeing them right away."

"Yes, I would," Aly said.

"Well, let me take care of your horses then," Stephen said. "I'll see that your bags are delivered to whatever room you are given."

"Thank you, Stephen," Aly said gratefully.

"It's what I'm here for, Miss," he said, and taking the reigns from their horses and giving a respectful jerk of the head, turned and led the horses into the stable, leaving Aly to guide her family towards a side entrance in the main palace.

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"Mama, you're hurting me," Junai complained, tugging slightly at her mother's hand.

"Oh, sorry sweetheart," Aly said, turning to her daughter. She hadn't realized that she was gripping Junai's hand so hard. She stood, staring at the door to the apartments that her parents always used when they were at the palace. Junai and Ulasim were looking at her in confusion and slight consternation: they had never seen their mother this nervous about something. Alyani slept quietly in the sling on Nawat's back.

"You can handle this," Nawat whispered. Aly looked into his encouraging eyes, reached out, and knocked on the door.

For a long time, there was no response. Aly looked at Nawat again, the prospect of wandering the palace looking for someone she knew deeply unappealing. She shrugged, and knocked again.

"I'm _coming_," she heard a familiar voice call exasperatedly from within. Her breath caught in her throat as the door opened.

Alanna stood in the door, as her hair slightly more gray than Aly remembered, but her eyes as violet as they had ever been, and now widened in disbelief.

"Hello Mother," Aly said, as Alanna continued to stand there, hand on the doorknob, her mouth slightly open.

"Aly?" she breathed.

"Come on, Mother, I can't have changed that much, can I?" Aly asked, a small smile quirking her mouth.

"Of course not, Aly," her mother said. Her eyes were fixed on her daughter's face. Aly shifted uncomfortably under the familiar gaze. Alanna shifted her eyes from her daughter's face to the two small children pressed tightly against their mother's side. "These are your children," she said, more a statement than a question.

"Yes," Aly said, "this is Junai, and this is Ulasim," she said putting ahand behind each of their small heads as she said their names.

Alanna knelt on one knee, so that her face was level with the twins'. "It's very wonderful to meet you," she told them, in a quiet voice almost a whisper.

The twins only stared back at her, intimidated by this stern looking, composed woman, who they had only heard about from their mother, but who they knew to be a famous warrior. Finally, Junai, always willing to take a risk, stepped forward and thrust out her small hand.

"I'm Junai," she announced. Alanna gently reached out and solemnly took the proffered hand.

"I'm honored, Junai," Alanna murmured to her granddaughter. Emboldened by his sister's actions, and not to be outdone, Ulasim also stepped forward and extended his hand towards his grandmother.

"I'm Ulasim," he told her. She also took his hand. "Good to meet you, Grandmother," he said formally.

Alanna gently released his hand, and as she rose back to her full height, Aly was shocked to see moisture glistening in her mother's eyes.

Clearing her throat awkwardly, she said, "and of course you remember Nawat." Nawat inclined his head respectfully to his mother-in-law and smiled at her, who returned the gesture. "And this is Alyani," Alanna said, indicating the baby in a sling on Nawat's back. "Who is currently asleep," she went on, not anxious to renew the uncomfortable silence that had dominated for a few moments.

"Well, why are we all standing in the hallway," said Alanna, suddenly. "Come in," she said, stepping back to allow the five of them into the room.

After nervous glances back at their mother, who nodded encouragingly, Junai led the procession into the room, Alanna closing the door after they had all entered. She indicated that they should seat themselves on the couch in the room, Aly removing Alyani from her berth before Nawat sat. Alanna sat in an armchair, to the side of the family, so she could see them.

"May I?" she asked, indicating the baby Aly was now holding.

"Oh, of course," Aly said, gently handing the baby to her mother. Alanna cradled the child, gazing into the small, sleeping face, and Aly realized she had never actually seen her mother hold a baby before.

After a few moments, Aly broke the silence which threatened to become deafening. "Aren't you going to ask us why we're here, Mother?" she asked, a slightly impudent tone creeping into her voice.

Alanna looked up at her. "I assumed that you were here for Alan's Ordeal," she said, raising an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Oh," Aly said, slightly surprised. "Well, you were right," she said subsiding into silence for a few seconds, before asking, "Where's Da?"

"He's discussing business with your grandfather," Alanna replied.

Aly just nodded, then began a minute study of her hands. Why, why was she unable to speak as comfortably to her own mother as to everyone else?

Alanna relieved her discomfiture by turning her attention to the twins, seated between their parents. "How old are you two?" she asked kindly.

They exchanged a look, deciding, as they usually did, that Junai was to be the spokesperson.

"Two and a half," she replied, proudly. "We'll be three two weeks before Midsummer."

"Well, I'll need to remember to send you a present, then," Alanna said, smiling at the girl.

Again, the twins exchanged a slightly bewildered look. "You did last year," Ulasim blurted out. "And Mama says you did the year before that too," Junai added. Aly smiled at her mother, who smiled back, before returning her attention to the twins.

"Well, it only seemed proper that you get a present from your grandparents," Alanna said. Aly leaned over the twins to whisper something in Nawat's ear, who nodded, and then took the opportunity to divert her mother's attention.

"Mother, I would love to catch up more, but I would really like to find Alan now. Will you five get manage while I'm gone?" she asked, mostly addressing the twins. They nodded, and Alanna said, "of course, he will be delighted to see you. He hasn't said anything, but he's been thinking about you, I can tell." Aly rose from the couch. "He's in the room adjoining your Uncle Raoul's room," Alanna told her daughter. "Who will, incidentally, be just one of the many people delighted to see you".

Aly smiled at her, gently touched the twins head's, and started to walk to the door. She hesitated by her mother's chair, then bent down and gently kissed Alanna's cheek.

At the door, Aly glanced back at the small group, in time to see Nawat lean forward to address his mother-in-law. Trying to ignore the moisture accumulating in her own eyes, Aly gently closed the door and strode down the corridor.

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Well, so it turns out that reuniting with her family is going to take at least a couple of chapters. Sorry about that.

Also sorry that Alanna was so unemotional, but isn't that how you think Alanna would be? I'll probably have some sappy conversation between the two of them later.

Next time, expect reunions definitely with Alan and George, and probably some other people also, depending on how into it I get.


	4. Chapter 4

And let the story continue:

Sorry this update has been so long coming; the last week has been crazy. I'm on spring break now, though, so hopefully I'll be able to get at least one more out before I go back.

Standard Disclaimers apply. Aka… Not mine!!!

Chapter 4 

Aly's brisk walk lasted only about two corridors away from her mother's room before it became a jog, and then a sprint. Heads turned sharply as she flew past them, but Aly didn't notice. The layout of the palace was a clear in her mind as it had ever been, and she confidently turned corners, eager to get to her twin as soon as she could.

Aly skidded to a halt at the end of the corridor that held the rooms of the commander of the King's Own. She caught her breath for a second, before quickly walking to the door next to the one that held the plague proclaiming it to be Sir Raoul's. Taking a deep breath, she knocked, and then stood impatiently shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She heard a rustling from inside the room, footsteps, and then the door opened.

For a second she stared into her twin's face, and just had time for a broad smile to begin to form, before he gave a strangled yell and through his arms around her waist squeezing her to tightly her breath was driven from her lungs.

"Aly!" he cried, releasing her long enough to look into her face for a second, before he pulled her back into an embrace. Aly laughed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, breathless with happiness.

"You're here, I can't believe you're here," he whispered in her ear.

"Of course I'm here," she chided him, pulling back to smile at him. "Nothing short of open rebellion in the Isles could keep me from coming to your ordeal, and you know, we had one of those a couple of years ago."

He laughed gleefully, and pulled her into his room. "When did you get here?" he asked, pulling her down onto the edge of his bed. "How did you get here?"

"We took a ship to Port Cayne, and got in three days ago. We rode to Corus from there. We only got to the Palace about an hour ago. I left Nawat and the kids with Mother, and came to find you."

"How are they?" he asked.

"They're great," Aly said. "Hopefully they still are after spending a little while with Mother. Well, they actually seem to be not too scared of her."

"She probably didn't say anything to you, but she's been desperate to meet them," Alan told her. "As have we all, of course."

"They'll go home hopelessly spoiled," Aly complained, "after all the attention they'll get here."

He continued to smile, eyes fixed on her face. "Aly, you have no idea how much it means to me that you're here," he said.

She smiled and squeezed his hand. "Well, if I weren't here you'd just sit the entire day before your Ordeal worrying constantly. I'm here to keep you sane."

"I'm going to need it," he agreed, nodding. His smile stayed in place, but became slightly apprehensive. "How long after Midwinter can you stay?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant, but Aly knew him well enough to know that the answer meant a lot to him.

"Depending on the weather, probably a month, maybe a little more. I'm, of course, worried that the country is going to collapse while I'm gone, but you have no idea how many people have told me that it won't," she joked. "Why?" she asked shrewdly.

"Well, um," he said, no longer meeting her eyes and suddenly looking uncomfortable. "You'll need to stay for…my wedding."

"WHAT!" Aly cried, pulling her hand out of his, and staring at him in shock. He grinned sheepishly at her.

"I'm getting married." He told her, his grin spreading over his entire face.

"To who?" Aly demanded, her look of amazement still in place.

"To Leanne," he told her, taking perverse pleasure in her surprise.

"Leanne…_Princess Leanne_!"

"Yes," Alan started to say, before the door connecting his room to his knight master's opened, and Aly's uncle Raoul poked his head in, saying, "what in the blazes is all the yelling in here?" and then coming up short at the sight of Aly.

"Uncle Raoul!" Aly cried, jumping up from the bed, running to him, and throwing her arms around his neck, which was difficult considering how much taller he was than she.

"Alianne, what in Mithros' name are you doing here?" he demanded, putting her hands on his shoulder's and pushing her to arms length so he could look into her face.

"I came for Alan's Ordeal, of course," she told him, grinning impishly up at him.

"Well, bless me," he said, still looking slightly thunderstruck. "Your mother must be thrilled to see you."

"Yeah, I guess," Aly said, looking slightly awkward. "She was really happy to see the children."

"Of course," Raoul said, "Buri will be desperate to see you and them also, but she's at the training yard right now."

"Well, I'll see her later," Aly said, as Alan came to stand by his sister.

"I take it you're staying for the Midwinter celebrations," Raoul said, directing this at Aly.

"Of course I am," Aly said. "Uncle Raoul, we need to talk later, but I haven't seen my Da yet," she told him apologetically.

"Well of course, go find him," Raoul told her indulgently. "And Alan, take tonight off."

"Thank you, Sir," Alan said, as Raoul withdrew into his own room.

"Sir?" Aly said to her twin, puzzled. "You call uncle Raoul ' Sir'?"

"It's what I'm expected to call him, because he's my knight master," Alan said. "I think he was as surprised as you the first time I did call him that, thought," he continued. "Come on, let's go find Da," he said, leading her to the door.

"I believe we were interrupted in the course of a rather important discussion," Aly reminded him as they entered the corridor again.

"Uh, yeah," Alan said reluctantly, looking embarrassed again. "Yes, _Princess_ Leanne."

"You are marrying Leanne," Aly repeated, as though making sure she understood.

"_Yes_," Alan cried, exasperated, "stop sounding as though I announced I was the new court jester!"

"It's just…" Aly began, unable to voice exactly why she was so surprised. "I don't know, it seems to be so sudden."

"Well, you have been out of the country for the last five years," Alan reminded her, prompting her to give him a dirty look.

"I know. But, how did this happen?"

"Well, we met again when I came to the Palace to start my page training, and we saw each other when we could." He stopped, looking uncomfortable. "I don't know, Aly, I love her!" he exclaimed.

Aly walked in silence for a second, before turning to him. "Well, that's fabulous, Alan," she said sincerely, hugging him. "I'm so happy for you."

He hugged her back, looking grateful. "Thank you, Aly."

She suddenly grinned at him. "How is the king taking it?" she asked.

Alan grimaced. "At first he forbade it," he said, with the air of reflecting on an unpleasant memory. "Apparently Mother needed to…well, have strong words with him in order to get him to agree."

Aly nodded in understanding. "She yelled at him," Aly said.

"That's pretty much what happened," Alan agreed.

They stopped in front of a door, that Aly suddenly realized was her grandfather's office.

"Are Da and Grandda discussing…business?" Aly asked, knowing Alan would understand what she meant by "business".

"Probably," Alan said. "They're still keeping a pretty close eye on Scanra, not ready to trust yet that it isn't going to explode at any time."

Aly nodded. She didn't have nearly as extensive a network in Scanra as her father and grandfather did, it not having such an immediate effect on the Isle's as it did on Tortall, but she had enough people there to know that it was still quite volatile, not yet fully recovered from the war.

"Well, you'd better make sure that they aren't discussing anything that they wouldn't want the spymaster of another country to overhear," Aly said, grinning.

Alan grinned back and knocked on the door. Aly's breath caught excitedly in her throat when she heard her grandfather's voice calling, "come in."

Alan opened the door and stepped inside. Aly heard some jumbled voices from within, and then heard Alan say, "yes, I _know_ you're busy, but there's someone here you'll really want to see."

With a fine flair for the dramatic, she chose that moment to push open the door, beaming at the look of surprise on her Grandda's face, and the huge smile that spread over her father's.

All possible coolness and dignity was forgotten the moment she saw her father's familiar features, his hazel eyes full of amazed joy, and she flew across the short distance from the door to where her father was sitting, and threw herself into his arms. Only half-risen, he fell back into the chair he had been sitting in, and wrapped his long arms around her, hugging her tightly.

She finally untangled herself from him, and stood in front of his chair, trying to blink back tears. He brushed some hair out of her face, and beamed at his daughter.

"I'll need to have some words with my people if you got all the way here without my gettin' some word of it," he told her, eyes twinkling.

She smiled back at him. "It's not there fault, Da," she told him. "I'm very, very good at this," she said impishly. "Much better than any of your people."

"That might very well be true," said her grandfather, rising from his chair behind his desk, and coming around the desk. Aly moved away from her father, and went to hug Myles.

"It's delightful to see you, my dear," he told her, kissing the top of her head.

"You too, Grandda," she said, smiling up at him. "How's Grandmother," she asked.

"She's excellent, and will be absolutely elated to know you're here," he responded.

"I assume you've already seen your mother, Lass," George said to his daughter.

Aly turned to face him again, and nodded. "Nawat and the children are with her now," she answered.

George looked suddenly extremely excited. "You mean to say my grandchildren are in the palace, and we are wasting time standing around here?" he demanded.

Aly grinned. "Well, let's go," she said, leading the way to the door, her father, brother, and grandfather following her out.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Whew, okay, I'm glad I finally got that written. I haven't decided yet how many specific people I'm going to have her see, but if there's any character you really want to see her reunited with tell me, and I'll try to write it in.

About the Alan / Leanne thing…I really wanted one of Alanna's kids to end up with one of Jon's kids. For the record, I am completely in favor of Alanna / George, but I must admit I wanted to see work out in the next generation what didn't in the first. Alan and Leanne seemed like they were about of the same age, so I decided to hook them up. I have an idea for the whole story of how they came together in my head (including the part where Alanna yells at Jon), and maybe some day I'll write it into a oneshot. Maybe if I'm ever stuck on the next chapter of this fic…

Well, I hope you enjoyed it, and I'm sorry to ask, I promised myself I wouldn't, but reviews / advice / corrections / statements of my suckiness are always greatly appreciated (not so much statements of my suckiness, but if that's what you want to say, heck, I think I can take it).


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